Taking a step back

Tonight I stepped down as director of Islay Energy Trust.

The trust is in place to develop sustainable energy projects to aid the socio-economic development of the island and to develop education and awareness of sustainability issues.

I am passionately committed to these values and will still be involved in a less formal way.

So way did I step down? ..................Time.

With being the PT of a dept, ICT Cordinator, working on developing the School of Ambition programme, planning to build a house and trying to have a life as well. Being a director of a company was too much.

I plan to still be involved in developing parts of the projects but it was a mixed emotion night.

PS I had Nothing to do with the website!

Technorati tags: Islay, sustainability

Wireless Projector

From Blog Pics

I have been playing with a Panasonic Wireless Projector this week.

It is a great piece of equipment. It worked perfectly with our network. Once I realised how to configure it properly (It wasn't difficult, I was a bit slow)

The only problem I have is getting Google Earth to show up over the wireless but I am hoping to have an answer to that tomorrow. I suspect its an OpenGL setting I need to find.

The way the wireless projector works with the internet (I think) is that you use the controlling PC to call a page and that page is sent to the projectors IP Address. It works well.

One question I have at the moment is, if the projector is fixed in place thn can I save wireless bandwidth by using a projector which is hardwired through the CAT5 network?

I suspect, if such a projector exists, it would mean that any media called would be transferred via the hardwire making it much more efficient.

Does anyone have an suggestions, ideas, comments?

 

 

Technorati tags: islay, school, scotland, education scotland, projector, panasonic, school of ambition

Google Sketchup 6

I have just found out that Google have released a new version of its free 3d drawing app, Sketchup 6.

We have been using Version 5 for a few weeks now.

The First and Second Years are investigating ancient, interesting or significant sites and buildings on Islay and Jura.

One example is Finlaggan. Its the ancient seat of the Lord of the Isles. A group of pupils invesigate different parts of the site and different times of history, the build technologies and materials used. They are now redrawing the buidings using Sketchup. Tomorrow they are going to visit the site to speak with an expert. They will be taking photo's, recording interviews, both audio and video.

They will next upload the 3d models to Google Earth and then create web content uing the audio and video files. Editing them themselves of course.

They will be learning so many skills in the process that I am having trouble listing them all.

The best is that they are so motivated

Other groups are looking Islay House, Jura House even a plague village called Solum.

Technorati tags: sketchup, 3d, google earth, scotland, education scotland, Islay, argyll

Stewart McLean Tiree High School

As Andrew Brown has already said about the death of Stewart McLean.

I just wanted to acknowledge the passing of a good friend, collaborator and drinking buddy. Stewart was always able to produce thoughts and actions in equal measure.

His funeral is happening as I type and dearly wish I could has made it over to show my love and sadness for the passing of a great human being.

Apple iPhone

This really does looklike an amazing piece of design and technology. Apple are so great at bring together great designers (ie Ross Lovegrove) and innovative thinking........ oh, and lots of smart marketing.

Link to Apple

Technorati tags: iphone, apple, design

Windswept and interesting

Tomorrow is the start of a new term.

Man, that was a quick term and then holiday! Though I am very keen to get back and into this term.

The reason for that is not just to get inside a different building having been stuck inside most of the holidays due to the awful weather but I have a new member of staff joining us for the next 6 months. Good luck Alaric.

This will free me up to get the next stage of the project setup and to provide direct classroom support to embed the technology.

The next stage over the next couple of months is to get network projectors and speaker systems into teaching areas, get servers setup and, of course, continue with the training and support for staff.

Wish us luck

Technorati tags: network projector, islay, glowscotland